Editing First Anglo-Dutch War (section)

===Opposing fleets===
[[File:De Vlieger, Brederode off Hellevoetsluis.jpg|thumb|right|The ''Brederode'', flagship of Dutch admiral [[Maarten Tromp]]]]

The Dutch fleet in the [[Eighty Years' War]] had three tasks: as a Battle Force against major Spanish fleets, to convoy Dutch merchant ships and protect its fishing fleet and to actively oppose [[privateers]], particularly those of [[Dunkirk]].<ref name="Bruijn79,82">Bruijn (2016), pp. 79, 82</ref> In that war, the two latter tasks were more important than major fleet actions, and they required more numerous but smaller warships than the Battle Force, although these smaller ships could also be used in mêlée battles, where boarding rather than gunfire might decide the result.<ref name="Bruijn77,83-4">Bruijn (2016), pp. 77, 83–84</ref> Following their victory over the Spanish fleet at the [[Battle of the Downs]] on October 21, 1639, and after peace was made with Spain in 1648,<ref>Israel (1995), p. 537</ref> the need for major warships lessened, although smaller ones were still required for convoy service, particularly to the [[Mediterranean]], the East Indies and later to the Caribbean. The financially exhausted [[Dutch Admiralties]] allowed their squadrons, and particularly their major warships, to deteriorate.<ref name="Bruijn84-5">Bruijn (2016), pp. 84–85</ref>

In the period up to the First Anglo-Dutch War, the Dutch Republic had four sources of warships. The first was the ships of five autonomous Admiralties ("colleges"), three in the province of Holland, which were supported by local taxes on commerce and contributions from the inland provinces. Each Admiralty was responsible for the design, construction, armament and manning of its own ships and the appointment of flag officers for its squadron.<ref name="Bruijn5,8-9">Bruijn (2011), pp. 5, 8–9</ref> The second was the so-called "director's ships" (''directieschepen''), convoy escorts provided by the burgomasters and merchants of six cities including [[Amsterdam]] and [[Hoorn]] to protect their Baltic trades.<ref name="Bruijn23-4">Bruijn (2011), pp. 23–24</ref> The cities were responsible for providing what were in effect modified and armed merchant ships, appointing their captains and providing crews.<ref name="Bruijn84">Bruijn (2016), p. 84</ref> The next group were hybrid ships of the [[Dutch East India Company]], which could act as warships or cargo carriers<ref name="Bruijn87">Bruijn (2016), p. 87</ref> and the last were hired merchant vessels, whose owners had little interest in risking their property.<ref name="Bruijn47">Bruijn (2011), p. 47</ref> Although captains of the East India Company were generally competent, they were unused to naval discipline, as were the more variable in quality commanders of director's ships and hired merchant ships.<ref name="Bruijn87" /><ref name="Bruijn84" />

After 1648 the Admiralties sold off many of their larger ships, including Dutch Admiral [[Maarten Tromp]]'s own flagship, the ''[[Dutch ship Aemilia (1632)|Aemilia]]'', of 600 tons and fitted with 57 guns. Admiral Tromp was forced to shift his flag to the 600-ton ''[[Dutch ship Brederode (1644)|Brederode]]'', of 54 guns. By 1652, the Dutch Admiralties had only 79 ships at their disposal.<ref name="Israel715"/> Many of these ships were in bad repair, with fewer than 50 being [[seaworthy]]. All these ships were inferior in firepower to the largest English [[Rating system of the Royal Navy|first and second rate]] ships.<ref name="Bruijn67-8">Bruijn (2011), pp. 67–68</ref><ref name="Bruijn82">Bruijn (2016), p. 82</ref> The numerical deficiency in the Dutch navy was to be made up by arming merchantmen.

[[File:Spotprent op Engeland, 1652 Leeuw en Honden Geveght (titel op object), RP-P-OB-81.746A.jpg|thumb|left|Dutch political cartoon, published in 1652. The Dutch lion is lulled to sleep by the music of the Spanish cello, but is awakened by Cromwell tickling its ear. Two English dogs (mastiffs) bark at the lion, but their tails are being squeezed by the Dutch sailor with a glowing pair of tongs.]]

The strongest restraint on the number of sailing warships was the large crews required, so fleets were limited by the number of seaman that could be induced or compelled to serve. England had a greater population and employed [[impressment]] to make up crew numbers, so could generally maintain more fully crewed ships than the Dutch could.<ref name="Fox67-8">Fox (2009), pp. 67–68</ref> The Dutch partly compensated by hiring foreign sailors from Scandinavia and the Baltic. The English navy of the Commonwealth period was in better condition and was still improving. The Commonwealth had won the English Civil War in 1652 with a strong and effective navy that had supported and supplied Cromwell's army in the [[Wars of the Three Kingdoms|wars in Scotland and Ireland]]; blockaded the Royalist fleet of [[Prince Rupert of the Rhine|Prince Rupert]] in [[Lisbon]]; and organised a system of convoys to protect the commerce of the Commonwealth against the numerous [[privateers]] based in European ports.<ref name="Coward123-4">Coward (2002), pp. 123–124</ref>

Compared to the Dutch fleet, the English fleet had larger ships of the first and second rates, but proportionately fewer [[frigates]], as the English fleet was principally designed to fight in major actions, whilst providing convoy escorts or fighting privateers was a secondary task.<ref name="Fox42-4">Fox (2009), pp. 42–44</ref> The first and second rate ships included the ageing [[English ship Resolution (1650)|''Resolution'']] and {{ship|English ship|Victory|1620|2}} which dated from James&nbsp;I's reign, along with the [[English ship Sovereign|''Sovereign'']] and others from Charles&nbsp;I's navy. However, the [[English ship Naseby (1655)|''Naseby'']], [[English ship Richard (1658)|''Richard'']], [[English ship Dunbar (1656)|''Dunbar'']], and several others were built during the Commonwealth.<ref name="Fox38,46">Fox (2009), pp. 38, 46</ref> These were part of a naval expansion financed by an [[Act of Parliament]] on 10 November 1650 which imposed a 15% tax on merchant shipping. Between 1649 and 1651 the English fleet included 18 ships that were each superior in firepower to Dutch Admiral Tromp's new flagship ''Brederode'', the largest Dutch ship.<ref>Israel (1995), pp. 715–716</ref> All the English ships intended to fight in the [[line of battle|battle line]] were more heavily armed than their equivalents in other European navies, sacrificing [[Freeboard (nautical)|freeboard]] and the ability to use their lower guns in adverse weather in exchange for more powerful [[Artillery|ordnance]].<ref name="Fox48">Fox (2009), p. 48</ref> English ships could fire and hit the enemy at a greater range, and favoured the use of [[round shot]] over the [[chain shot]] which was popular in other navies.